Sunday, October 30, 2011

Care Package

I was in the Peace Corps in Estonia from 2000-2002. During those years I met some friends who would become some of the dearest people in my life whom, I daresay, I will know and love as long as I live. We try to get together annually, if not more often.

A few years ago, we reunioned at my house and during one of those evenings, we played a game of catch phrase. If you haven't played, you pass around a little machine which gives you a category and the seconds tick off. When you are handed the machine, you must shout out a word or phrase for the category, trying not to get it it when it makes it signature WHOOSH noise, signalling that you have lost the round! So during one round, the category was 'popular phrases' and when the machine was handed hastily to Harald he shouted out (as if this were a phrase that we all knew and loved and had been saying for years) "Ho Hum! What a life!" Well, this sent us all into gales of laughter and it is now a great phrase to use.

Today, my friend Harald is sick. He has a brain tumor and is currently suffering through chemotherapy and radiation. I talk to him as often as I can. He needs lots of strength and love sent his way, even if you don't know him. But Harald, even in the midst of this hardest time of his life..is still hilarious. I called him on the way home from my friend Rebecca's the other day and said "Oh shit! I left my sunglasses at Rebecca's!" Harald paused for a moment, then said, "Yeah, life sucks doesn't it?"

Very funny. Above is a shirt I made for him, which will be on its way to northern New York in a care package tomorrow.